Dopamining

Abstract

Dopamining is a title constructed by combining two words. A noun and a verb. Dopamine and mining.

Roughly thirty different raw materials make up a total of 149 grams, which is the weight of an iPhone 6. The materials are extracted from several countries with a huge geographical spread, questionable working conditions, political situations and environmental policies. A device, more or less a part of ourselves, both physically and emotionally, is really just a composite of dredged up soil that carries countless of stories.

This still ongoing artistic research project attempts to reflect upon the social and material footprints that the Iphone leaves behind. At the core of this project is the method deciphering.

Contents:

Dopamining intro: Introduction to research project and progress report.

Encyclopedia of Emotions: On how to make an assembly line of all the emotional pictograms iOS has to offer. Making the digital analogue then making them digital again. 1565 hand painted emojis, oil on 40x40 synthetic canvas.

www.FieldNotes: Field notes from the process, a collection of visual material and text snatched from the www. An ever-growing document.

Wojak: A portrait of a meme. The Wojak. Made in ceramics (clay), the source material for out hand-held devices. The Wojak often used when expressing sympathy for a fellow 4chan troll. Aka the Feel you bro meme.

My Trip to Vesta: Documentation of my trip to the asteroid 4-vesta to harvest rare earth materials. Being a crew member for the artist Tom Sachs and a part of his space program.

Voodoo Material Studies: Implementing the deciphering method in my education and pedagogy. Students testing the method in IM221 Material Studies.